Monday, January 31, 2011

This is the follow-up to my September 27 article. The graphics cover the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle combination that Amtrak is proposing and two new southern transcontinental routes operated under a public-private partnership.

The eastbound routes

Amtrak Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited

New Amtrak Route

Rail Consortium Transcontinental

Desert Limited

Rail Consortium Central

Gulf Wind

Los Angeles

23:30

7:02

Phoenix@

14:28a

14:43a

Maricopa

8:19

8:29

Tucson

10:17

16:50

10:37

17:10

El Paso

16:41

23:17

17:25

0:01

San Antonio

6:50

13:05

Route continues to Chicago at 7:40

7:50

13:50

Houston

11:58

17:55

12:10

18:10

6:10

Baton Rouge

1:45

13:45

New Orleans

21:00

3:15

15:15

4:15

16:15

Mobile

7:40

19:40

Pensacola

10:19

22:19

Tallahassee

15:59

3:59

Jacksonville-Union Terminal

20:08

8:08

20:38

8:38

Orlando-LYNX Station

22:53

10:45

23:08

11:00

Tampa-Union Station

1:10

13:10

Now, for the westbound routes

Rail Consortium Central

Gulf Wind

Rail Consortium Transcontinental

Desert Limited

New Amtrak Route

Amtrak Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited

Tampa-Union Station

19:25

7:25

Route arrives from Chicago at 22:30

Orlando-LYNX Station

21:35

9:35

21:45

9:45

Jacksonville-Union Terminal

0:20

12:20

0:50

12:50

Tallahassee

3:42

15:42

Pensacola

8:41

20:41

Mobile

11:23

23:15

New Orleans

15:21

3:21

16:21

4:21

9:45

Baton Rouge

17:51

5:51

Houston

1:16

13:16

18:25

13:31

18:35

San Antonio

17:30

23:00

18:05

1:10

El Paso

5:46

11:51

6:30

12:35

Tucson

12:44

18:49

13:15

19:20

Maricopa

20:47

20:57

Phoenix@

16:45b

17:00b

Los Angeles

0:35

5:05

Important notes

@ At first, the Desert Limited will call Union Station home. In the future, long-distance trains will relocate to Sky Harbor International Airport

a-Times will be 10 minutes later upon Phoenix station relocation

b-Times will be 10 minutes earlier upon Phoenix station relocation

Phoenix will serve as the temporary western terminus until the Southern Pacific tracks are restored. Once that happens, the Desert Limited will be extended to Los Angeles

Shortly after the launch of the Desert Limited, the eastern terminus will be moved from Orlando to Tampa